VentureBeat

Every part of our visual life is being taken over by video.

SellPoint is just the latest company to conspire with the takeover: The start-up produces online video tours for products, and is replacing that comely sales representative who once greeted you at your neighborly electronics store. To develop the tours, SellPoint studied everything an on-site salesperson might provide, then tried to offer an online equivalent. Potential buyers can look at a product, of course, but they can also get an overview of its features and download pamphlets and other material. (Check out a sample product tour here.)

The popularity of SellPoint’s tours has increased dramatically in the past year, says chief executive Rick Martin. Manufacturers are realizing that even if online sales aren’t a big moneymaker, many shoppers are doing their initial research on the web.

Manufacturers like Canon, Epson and TiVo have hired to SellPoint to create these tours and syndicate them through a network of more than 100 online retailers.

Web Collage syndicates promotional material and Vendaria Media can create similar content, but Martin says SellPoint is the only company that both produces the content and syndicates it.

SellPoint started out in 2000 under the name Ten Toe, but it didn’t find its current business model until 2005, which is also when it raised a its first $7 million of venture funding. This second round money comes from Granite Ventures and previous investor Menlo Ventures.